| Quds Day | |
|---|---|
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| Official name | روز جهانی قدس (Ruz Jahâni Quds) |
| Observed by | Arab world,Muslim world,anti-Zionists |
| Type | International |
| Significance | Demonstrations againstZionism, theState of Israel, and theIsraeli occupation of Jerusalem; solidarity with thePalestinian people |
| Date | Last Friday ofRamadan |
| 2024 date | April 5 |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Started by | Ruhollah Khomeini |
| Related to | Iranian Revolution Palestinian nationalism Anti-Zionism |
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Quds Day (lit. 'Jerusalem Day'), officially known asInternational Quds Day (Persian:روز جهانی قدس,romanized: Ruz Jahâni Quds), is an annualpro-Palestinian event held on thelast Friday of theIslamic holy month ofRamadan to express support forPalestinians and opposeIsrael andZionism.[4] It takes its name from theArabic name forJerusalem:al-Quds.
The event was first held in 1979 inIran, shortly after theIranian Revolution. The day exists partly in opposition to Israel'sJerusalem Day, which has been celebrated byIsraelis since May 1968 and was declared a national holiday by theKnesset in 1998.[5] Today, rallies are held on Quds Day in various countries in theMuslim world, as well as in non-Muslim communities around the world,[6] in protest against theIsraeli occupation of East Jerusalem.[7][8]
Critics of Quds Day have argued that it isantisemitic.[9][10] In Iran, the day is marked by widespread speeches (some featuringHolocaust denial)[11] and rallies that have been frequented by chants of "Death to Israel,Death to America", with crowds trampling and burningIsraeli flags.[12][13] Quds Day rallies have also featured demonstrations against other countries and causes.[14][15][16]
An annualanti-Zionist day of protest was first suggested byEbrahim Yazdi, the first foreign minister of theIslamic Republic of Iran, toRuhollah Khomeini, the leader of theIranian Revolution. At the time, its predominant context was related todeepening tensions between Israel and Lebanon. Khomeini adopted Yazdi's idea,[4] and on 7 August 1979, he declared thelast Friday of everyRamadan as "Quds Day", in whichMuslims worldwide would unite in solidarity againstIsrael and in support of thePalestinians.[17] Khomeini stated that the "liberation" ofJerusalem was a religious duty to all Muslims:[18]
I invite Muslims all over the globe to consecrate the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan as Al-Quds Day and to proclaim the international solidarity of Muslims in support of the legitimate rights of the Muslim people ofPalestine.For many years, I have been notifying the Muslims of the danger posed by theusurper Israel which today has intensified its savage attacks against the Palestinian brothers and sisters, and which, in thesouth of Lebanon in particular, is continually bombing Palestinian homes in the hope of crushing the Palestinian struggle. I ask all theMuslims of the world and the Muslim governments to join together to sever the hand of this usurper and its supporters. I call on all the Muslims of the world to select as Al-Quds Day the last Friday in the holy month of Ramadan—which is itself a determining period and can also be the determiner of the Palestinian people's fate—and through a ceremony demonstrating the solidarity of Muslims worldwide, announce their support for the legitimate rights of the Muslim people. I askGod Almighty for the victory of the Muslims over theinfidels.
— Ruhollah Khomeini, 1979[19]
Senior clerics, including AyatollahNaser Makarem Shirazi, have described participation in Quds Day as a form of religious worship (ebādat), intended to unite Muslims around the world.[20]
There have been recorded incidents of violence on Quds Day, including 28 people killed and 326 wounded by bombs in 1985 during theIran–Iraq War.[21] Iran celebrates the event characteristically by putting on public display poster images of the city of Jerusalem, thematic speeches, art exhibitions reflecting the issue, and folkloric events. InLebanon,Hezbollah marks the occasion by organizing a substantive military parade for the last week of each Ramadan. Since 1989,Jordan has observed the event by hosting academic conferences, whose venue from university to university varies each year. Arab societies generally pay the occasionlip service in order to make a show of solidarity with the cause ofPalestinian aspirations for nationhood.[22]
The day is also marked throughout Muslim andArab countries. In January 1988, during theFirst Intifada, the Jerusalem Committee of theOrganization of the Islamic Conference decided that Quds Day should be commemorated in public events throughout the Arab world.[23] In countries with significantShia Muslim populations, particularly Lebanon, where Hezbollah organizes Quds Day observances, there is significant attendance at the day's events. Events are also held inIraq, thePalestinian Gaza Strip, andSyria. BothHamas andPalestinian Islamic Jihad endorse Quds Day and hold ceremonies. Outside of theMiddle East and the wider Arab world, Quds Day protests have taken place in theUnited Kingdom,Germany,Canada,Sweden,France, theUnited States, as well as someMuslim countries in Southeast Asia.[24] According to theBBC, while the original idea behind Quds Day was to gather all Muslims in opposition to the existence of Israel, the event has not developed beyond an Iranian experience. Apart from rallies, usually funded and organized by Iran itself in various capital cities, the ritual never took root among Muslims at large.[4]
In a Quds Day sermon on 23 January 1998, former Iranian presidentAkbar Hashemi Rafsanjani claimed that Israel was "much worse thanHitler." He questioned theHolocaust death toll, stating Hitler had killed "only 200,000 Jews," and dismissed the figure of six million as "apropaganda act by the Zionists."[11] In a Quds Day sermon in 2007, he declared that Hitler's primary aim was to "free Europe from the evils of Zionism," blaming Zionists for political unrest and media control in Europe. He suggested that Nazi policies were a response to Zionist influence, portraying the Holocaust as a consequence of Jewish behavior.[11]
On Quds Day in June 2017, adigital countdown clock was unveiled in Tehran's Palestine Square, marking the years remaining until Israel's predicted destruction. The clock referenced a 2015 statement by Supreme Leader Khamenei, who declared that "Israel won't exist in 25 years."[25]
In Iran, the day's parades are sponsored and organized by the government.[26][27] Events include mass marches and rallies. Senior Iranian leaders give fiery speeches condemning Israel, as well as the U.S. government. The crowds respond with chants of "Death to Israel" and "Death to America".[24]
Quds Day protests have been held in parts of the Middle East and in London and Berlin and the United States. Marches in London have drawn up to 3,000 people, while Berlin saw 1,600 protestors in 2018. Rallies were held in at least 18 cities across the United States in 2017.[28][29][30]
In 2020, for the first time since the initiation four decades ago, the Quds day event was held virtually in Iran amid theCOVID-19 pandemic.[31]
According to Roger Howard, many Iranians under the age of 30 continue to participate in Quds Day events, though proportionately less than those on the streets. He adds that many Iranian students on campus say in private that theArab–Israeli conflict has "nothing to do with us."[32] According to an April 2024 report byIran International, many Iranians see the annual Quds Day event as irrelevant and disconnected from the country's dire social and economic realities.[33]
Many Muslims commemorate Al Quds Day by protesting against the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem where the Al Quds mosque is located
Hundreds of thousands of Iranians rallied in cities across the country to protest against Israel's occupation and annexation of East Jerusalem.
